Cherry and Gold
by DarkPhoenixIncarnate
Summary: Post-Finale Korrasami One-Shot Unbeta'd; It strikes her suddenly that she finally knows what her lipstick tastes like, silly as it is she'd always half expected, when she allowed herself to imagine, that the taste would match the dark cherry shade.


Notes:

Unbeta'd. Mini-fic. I've been shipping this since the first time I saw them on screen together and now that it's canon...I just really wanted to write something, to contribute. There's probably a million fics like this out, and hopefully there'll be a million more of them. I'm so happy, so, so happy. I might add more to this, I'm not sure. Let me know what you think!

For Bryke  
>For Sarai<br>For every single Korrasami shipper who wanted to believe, who forced themselves not to get their hopes up.  
>For every single queer person who watched that finale and felt validated, and healed.<br>For myself

* * *

><p>Asami is the one who pulls away first. Somewhere in the haze of her thoughts, in the glow of golden light Korra is almost thankful for that, if only because she'd forgotten how to breathe during that kiss. Her lips are tingling, cheeks burning red and hot and Asami stands in front of her, so close with their hands still clasped together, with her face flushed and eyes wide, lips lightly parted as she stares out into the stunning expanse of colors that is the spirit world.<p>

Korra expels the breath kept tight in her lungs, forces herself to inhale again. "It's… _amazing._" Asami's voice is all air, an awed whisper with her eyes wide and wet as she tries to absorb it all. Gold frames her face, her form, highlights the curve of her jaw, the dip of her cheek bones and she's so _beautiful. _One of the hands in hers slides away, the other squeezes tight, a calloused thumb brushing over her fingers in a gesture so intimate that Korra's heart skips, and for a split second it surprises her that Asami's hands can appear so feminine, so perfectly manicured, and yet feel rough and worn, calloused with sleepless nights spent at machinery. It calls to mind the first impression she ever had of her, and now the memory of thinking, let alone voicing the idea that Asami is anything close to prissy makes her flinch, enough to draw her gaze away from the splendors of the spirit world, and back to her eyes.

Korra stares into them, hushed and silent, watching gold shimmer in green and she wonders if maybe she could stand like this forever, silent and subdued, awed of the woman in front of her and the hues of light that surround her, halo her. The color suits her, she thinks, and Korra tries with all that she is to memorize this moment, each detail, the gold caught in her raven hair, the reflection of it shining on painted lips. It strikes her suddenly that she finally knows what her lipstick tastes like, silly as it is she'd always half expected, when she allowed herself to imagine, that the taste would match the dark cherry shade.

It doesn't of course, she knows that, but Korra can't help dragging her tongue over her lips just once, just to make sure. A perfectly arched eyebrow raises, dark cherry lips twitching into a smile, but there's a touch of confusion in her eyes, a question that isn't voiced because it doesn't need to be. They read each other so well now, despite the time apart, each look and gesture they share is as clear and definite as words. Korra swallows, chest beginning to burn in warning before she remembers to breathe in again. She tries to talk but her voice feels heavy, hushed, and the words don't come with the inflection she intended them to. Instead they're quiet, gentle, another forgotten breath away from a whisper. "So, what do you think?"

She nearly bites the inside of her cheek, Asami already said she thought it was amazing, but she doesn't know what else to say, what other words she can give. Her eyes flicker down from Asami's and to her lips, then back again and she can still taste lipstick, wonders if they match now, wonders how many kisses it would take before their lips became the same shade of red.

Asami's smile takes on another hue, an inflection that hints to knowing exactly what she's thinking because Asami leans in again and their lips touch together so gently, so sweetly that Korra almost feels light headed. And then she's leaning into it and their kiss turns into something deeper, something closer, fingers twining together and arms wrapping around each other until the space between their bodies becomes nonexistent, until a fire is lit in her belly and burns across her skin, across every inch of her so that when their lips part her breathing is ragged.

"It's _incredible._" Asami says, breathless, cheeks flushed, eyes bright, staring into her own and Korra's heart skips, leaps into her throat. "More than I could've ever imagined." She feels a smile splitting across her face, becoming a full grin and her heart jumps again, pumping excitement and joy and _peace _through her veins and how _incredible _is that? To feel so peaceful, to not be afraid or angry, frustrated with her body or caged within it. Korra squeezes tight the hand held in hers, tugs lightly and pulls away from the portal of light, her feet touch solid ground and a rush of energy envelopes her, she can feel every living thing here, pulsing and singing all around her in a joyous harmony she never dreamed she could touch.

Korra looks back, her grin so wide her cheeks begin to protest but she's too happy to care. "This? This is nothing, only the beginning!" Asami follows without a second's hesitation, her gentle laughter is the last thing she gives to the world they leave behind.

-END-


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